COVID-19 data circulated by the governor's office on Jan. 3, 2022.
ANSONIA-SEYMOUR — Ansonia Public Schools canceled school until Monday, Jan. 10 because of COVID-19 related absences of staff and bus drivers.
In Seymour, the town is scheduled to hold a distribution event for a very limited amount of COVID-19 at-home test kits on Tuesday (Jan. 4).
Meanwhile, the state released data showing 21.5 percent positivity rate of the COVID-19 tests conducted since Thursday, with an additional 301 people hospitalized since Thursday, for a total of 1,452 people in the hospital because of COVID.
Of those in the hospital, 68.8 percent are not fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health. Click this link for the state’s COVID-19 portal.
ANSONIA SCHOOLS CLOSE
Ansonia students returned from winter break Monday, while a parent circulated a petition signed by more than 1,000 people asking that a remote option be given to families because of the rise of the state’s positivity rates in recent weeks.
On Monday afternoon Ansonia school district leaders released a letter saying that 25 percent of staff was not at work due to COVID-19, along with several bus drivers.
Those statistics forced the district to close, according to the letter, which further stated that “remote learning is not an option” due to state guidelines.
Those guidelines can be confusing, because going remote needs state government intervention for the days to officially count.
Schools can switch to remote learning: however, without an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont, those remote days do not count toward the required 180 days of school. Another option is for the schools to go remote, and then hope that the state legislature — once in session in February or at a special session requested before February by Lamont — agrees to count the remote days toward the 180 total.
That information comes from an email the state education shared with school superintendents on Dec. 31.
Derby Public Schools aren’t canceling as of this writing, but COVID-19 is causing major transportation issues.
Check out the WTNH website for other school closings.
SEYMOUR TO DISTRIBUTE HOME TEST KITS
The Town of Seymour is scheduled to distribute no cost at-home COVID-19 test kits from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Seymour High School, 2 Botsford Road. This is for Seymour residents only, and proof of residency is required.
Residents should be aware that the town’s supply of test kits from the state is nowhere near enough to satisfy local demand for the test kits. Ansonia held its distribution Monday at Nolan Field, where vehicles waiting to get into the parking lot caused traffic jams.
The test kits — which are most accurate when people using them are showing symptoms — are also available online through Amazon, and at local stores such as pharmacies and area Walmarts.
Click here for updates from the Office of the Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis.
